Declare June 12 Democracy Day – Obasa

The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, has said that he backed the call to declare June 12 as Democracy Day so as to immortalize late Chief Moshood Kolawole Abiola and the spirit of the June 12 struggle.

Obasa described the June 12, 1993 presidential election as the fountain from which the present democratic dispensation derived its source in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Musbau Rasak on the 23rd celebration of the historic election.

“It was an historic election, which was adjudged the freest, fairest and most peaceful election not only in Nigeria but also in the continent of Africa.
“It was indeed a watershed in Nigeria’s political history. A moment of joy for the people. The ultimate triumph of the people’s will over brute force,” the Lagos Assembly Speaker said.

According to Obasa, perhaps without June 12 election and the struggle to actualise it, the country might still be wallowing under military dictatorship.

“June 12 opened our eyes to the beauty of democracy and the need to achieve it. It was the foundation on which the present political dispensation is built. Thus, all of us in the present political class are beneficiaries of its essence,” he said.

The Lagos Assembly Speaker stated further that the nation needs to recognise the heroes and heroines who sacrificed their lives for the present democracy to emerge particularly the winner of that particular election, the late Chief MKO Abiola; and his wife, late Alhaja Kudirat Abiola.

“They paid the supreme price for all of us to enjoy this particular democracy hence they deserved to be honoured by the Federal Government. I am in support of those calling for making June 12 our Democracy Day,” he said.

Obasa stated further that celebrating June 12 has become an annual ritual for the progressives because its advent gave birth to the present democracy and “we must continue to celebrate it and remind ourselves its significance in our political history”.